# Catch-All Domains and Role Accounts: Why They're Risky to Email

> A catch-all domain accepts mail for any local part, so a verifier cannot confirm that a specific mailbox exists. A role account is a shared mailbox such as info@ or sales@. Both are better treated as risky than as invalid: they often deliver, but with less certainty or lower engagement.

## Catch-all domains

When a domain is configured as catch-all, its mail server accepts every recipient during the SMTP conversation and decides later what to do with the message. A mailbox probe therefore says yes to every address, including ones that do not exist. The honest result is that existence cannot be confirmed.

## Role accounts

Addresses like `info@`, `sales@`, `support@`, `admin@` and `postmaster@` usually route to a team. They are real and often deliver, but they are shared, which changes how people respond and how complaints happen.

## How to treat them

| Type | Suggested handling |
| --- | --- |
| Catch-all | Keep for transactional or high-intent contact; segment from bulk campaigns. |
| Role account | Fine for company-to-company outreach you chose deliberately; avoid for consumer marketing lists. |

## Questions

**Is a catch-all address invalid?**
No. It may deliver, but the mailbox cannot be confirmed, so it is classified as uncertain or risky rather than invalid.

**Should I remove role accounts from my list?**
Not always. Segment them and decide based on how you collected them and what you plan to send.

Tool: [See how an address is classified](https://www.emcheq.com/tools/email-verifier)